Carson Hocevar is riding a wave of momentum straight to the front of the pack. After calling his shot before qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway, the young driver delivered in dramatic fashion, securing the pole position for Sunday's Wurth 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1).
Hocevar, who hails from Portage, Michigan, entered Saturday's time trials with a distinct advantage: the last car to take the track. That perk came courtesy of his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway just one week ago. And he made the most of it.
"Hopefully we can roll out last and take advantage of it," Hocevar said before his lap. "Start up front, which is super important here. Pit stops are going to be important. Get a good pit selection and really keep the momentum rolling."
That momentum turned into a blistering lap of 25.222 seconds (191.240 mph) around the 1.5-mile oval. The margin of victory? A razor-thin 0.003 seconds over Spire Motorsports teammate Daniel Suarez, who clocked in at 191.320 mph. It was the kind of edge that separates legends from the field.
The Busch Light Pole Award marks Hocevar's second career pole—and fittingly, his first also came at Texas Motor Speedway a year ago. The repeat performance at this track shows a driver who is finding his rhythm on the high-speed circuit.
Hocevar, ever the joker, credited an unconventional source for his success. "Maybe going to Chili's last night it weighed the car down just a little bit more, and I had a little more left-side weight," he laughed. "I don't know where those three thousandths (of a second) are, but I'm glad I had 'em in the bank."
His confidence was palpable as he reflected on the lap. "My lap felt pretty good. It wasn't quite key it up on the radio and say, 'If they beat that, they can have it,' and they don't get beat. It wasn't quite doing that, but I was coming off Turn 4, and I was like, 'If this isn't fast, I'm going to be disappointed.' It felt good."
Hocevar also added to his stellar weekend by winning Friday night's NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at TMS, proving he's a force across multiple series.
Behind him, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing's Chris Buescher qualified third at 190.981 mph, the only Ford to crack the top 10. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe tied for fourth at 190.786 mph, with Hamlin earning the higher starting spot on an owner points tiebreaker. Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, and the series leader round out the front of the field.
For fans of the sport, this weekend at Texas is shaping up to be a showcase of precision, power, and the kind of thrilling finishes that make NASCAR a must-watch. And for Hocevar, it's all about keeping that wave rolling.